Raphael Stevens

Starship prototype SN10 fires its three Raptor engines as it comes in for the landing.SpaceXThe U.S. Air Force said Friday is expanding a small development program that wants to leverage reusable rockets, like those SpaceX is building, to deliver cargo quickly to anywhere in the world.Called Rocket Cargo, the experimental military program will be led by the U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon said. The program will research and help develop capabilities such as landing “a rocket on a wide range of non-traditional materials and surfaces,” engineering “a rocket cargo bay and logistics for rapid loading and unloading” and air-dropping “cargo from the rocket after re-entry in order to service locations where a rocket or aircraft cannot possibly land.”The Air Force’s 2022 budget proposal requested almost $50 million for Rocket Cargo to continue the study concept work it began last year with small contracts to SpaceX and Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc).Rocket Cargo effectively describes the Starship rockets that SpaceX is developing, as the military program will look at fully reusable private rockets that can launch between 30 and 100 tons. Currently, Starship is the only rocket in development that plans to both be reused and can both launch that much mass. Point-to-point space travel is a form of transportation, in which a rocket would launch into space and then return at another location, making it hypothetically capable of bringing supplies or possibly people from one side of the Earth to the other in under an hour.SpaceX has been testing prototypes of Starship at its facility in Texas, most recently landing and recovering prototype SN15 after a high-altitude flight test. While SpaceX is aiming to accomplish a feat no previous rocket has achieved — reusing rockets quickly to make spaceflight more akin to air travel, instead of the traditional approach of discarding the rocket after launch — the last high-altitude flight test was the first that ended without the prototype exploding. The company has yet to reach orbit with the rocket.Dr. Greg Spanjers, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s leader on the Rocket Cargo program, gave NASA’s Human Landing Systems program competition as an example of companies working on “viable” options of the Rocket Cargo capability. That NASA program, which is focused on building lunar landers that carry crew to the moon’s surface, featured three teams led by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Leidos’ subsidiary Dynetics. But Spanjers said the Air Force has “talked to many more companies than that” about the Rocket Cargo program.”We talked to a number of providers that we see potentially coming to the table to compete for these contracts,” Spanjers said Friday. “SpaceX is certainly the most visible, no question about it … [but] what you’re trying to do is go into an orbital or a suborbital trajectory, bring the payload back down, and land it on the planet Earth. There are multiple companies that have that technological capability today, not just SpaceX.”The Air Force declined to specify which companies it has talked to about the Rocket Cargo program, with Spanjers saying it is not “appropriate” before the Pentagon begins the contracting process. The contract solicitation is planned to begin very soon, although the Air Force declined to provide a date.Additionally, the Air Force is willing to consider companies for Rocket Cargo which are not yet developing a point-to-point fully reusable capability.”Today we are going to build the interfaces and the inroads to encourage more and more companies to enter into that realm. Hopefully they perceive a return on investment, in a business case that’s approved by the [Department of Defense] expressing interest in buying the service down the road,” Spanjers said.Become a smarter investor with CNBC Pro.Get stock picks, analyst calls, exclusive interviews and access to CNBC TV. Sign up to start a free trial today. More

Low water levels are visible next to houseboats that sit anchored at the Bidwell Canyon Marina on Lake Oroville on June 01, 2021 in Oroville, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesNearly three-fourths of the U.S. West is grappling with the most severe drought in the recorded history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, as hot and arid conditions are set to exacerbate the threat of wildfires and water supply shortages this summer.Parts of California, Nevada and Washington experienced sweltering triple-digit temperatures over the past week amid the drought, according to the National Weather Service, with states releasing excessive-heat warnings and heat advisories in some areas.Conditions this spring are much worse than a year ago. In fact, nearly half of the continental U.S. is in a moderate to exceptional drought, marking the most significant spring drought in the country since 2013, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The U.S. Drought Monitor, a map produced by a team of academic and government scientists, started roughly two decades ago. It is updated every Thursday to display the location and intensity of drought across the country.In an aerial view, the remains of a home and trees burned by a recent wildfire are seen near the steep banks of Lake Oroville on June 01, 2021 in Oroville, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesIn California, which frequently experiences drought conditions and massive wildfires, state reservoirs are 50% lower than they should be at this time of year, an Associated Press report says, which could trigger hydroelectric power plants to shut down during the worst part of wildfire season.The state had its worst wildfire season on record last year in terms of total acres burned, fueled in part by prolonged heat waves, drought and lightening strikes made worse by climate change.During a meeting with the head of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection last week in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a record $2 billion wildfire preparedness budget and an expansion of its fleet of aircraft to combat the fires.California will also have its largest firefighting force in history working on the ground during peak fire season.Alisha Herring, a communications representative for Cal Fire, told CNBC the department has completed dozens of fuel reduction projects, including controlled burns, to reduce the threat of fires this season.”As we move deeper into the summer months, conditions will only dry out further, increasing the fire danger,” she said. “These dry conditions make it much easier for a wildfire to ignite and to burn hotter and faster than we would normally see this time of year.”CNBC PoliticsRead more of CNBC’s politics coverage:Biden responds to the May jobs report: ‘Our plan is working’Quiet, deadly and expensive: The Navy’s costly plan to upgrade aging submarinesCEOs need to prepare now for exponential increase in ransomware attacks, top DOJ official saysFarmers in the Northwest are also dealing with growing drought damages to crops and struggling to irrigate fields as water levels go down.”72% of the western US is currently in ‘severe’ drought or worse. This is now the most extensive severe drought in recorded history,” climate scientist and activist Eric Holthaus wrote in a tweet. “We are in a climate emergency.”Climate change is making drought and other extreme weather such as hurricanes and wildfires more frequent and intense.Researchers also say that rising temperatures have pushed the American Southwest into a decades-long megadrought, resulting in declines in snowpack, lake and river levels and groundwater availability, among other things.”After two water years of dry conditions, both California and Nevada are now 100% in drought,” according to an update on Friday from NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System.”And with dire drought conditions, rapidly decreasing snowpack, and low reservoir levels, concern for wildfire season is growing,” it said. More

In this articleTGTWMTExterior view of a Walmart store on August 23, 2020 in North Bergen, New Jersey. Walmart saw its profits jump in latest quarter as e-commerce sales surged during the coronavirus pandemic.VIEW press | Corbis News | Getty ImagesWalmart said Friday its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, joining big-box rival Target in shutting its brick-and-mortar locations on the national holiday.With the move, two of the country’s largest discounters are showing how the pandemic has permanently influenced the industry — even as Covid-19 cases drop and the health crisis wanes in the U.S. It will mark the second straight year in which Target’s and Walmart’s stores are closed on Thanksgiving. Target had announced its decision in January.For many years, consumers kicked off their holiday shopping in earnest the day after Thanksgiving, which is also known as Black Friday. But until last year, some retailers had been shifting the kickoff of Black Friday events earlier.Many retailers, including Best Buy and Lowe’s, adjusted the cadence of their holiday sales season last year. Companies started sales around Halloween, but closed stores on Thanksgiving Day and put more promotions online to try to tamp down on crowds that could contribute to the virus’ spread and show appreciation for frontline workers.Walmart announced the news about this year’s Thanksgiving to a group of store employees during its associate celebration meeting. That gathering typically coincides with Walmart’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas, which was held virtually for the second year in a row.Walmart Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said in a news release that closing stores on the holiday “is one way we’re saying ‘thank you’ to our teams for their dedication and hard work this year.”Walmart said it will share hours for Black Friday at later date. More

Submarines are quiet, deadly and expensive. Boats like those in the Virginia class, which is a U.S. attack submarine, can cost $3.4 billion and take seven years to build. The Navy has ambitious goals for the future of the underwater fleet, but some problems could stand in the way.”The Navy is undergoing a 20-year plan that will cost $21 billion to upgrade its infrastructure,” said Aidan Quigley, a reporter at Inside Defense who covers the U.S. Navy and Marines. “Right now, the state of Navy shipyard infrastructure is not great. They’ve been underfunded for the past couple of decades.”The Navy currently has 68 submarines in service. And it wants to start shipbuilding on two to possibly three Virginia-class attack subs per year, and roughly one Columbia-class submarine per year until around 2035. But according to the Congressional Budget Office, a lack of shipyard infrastructure could delay those plans.”The Navy is focusing on improving productive capacity via initiatives to increase on-time delivery and operational availability while reducing maintenance costs,” said Navy Lt. Rob Reinheimer, in a statement to CNBC.And in response to the Government Accountability Office report on Columbia-class procurement released in January, Reinheimer said, “Over the past three years the Navy, with strong Congressional support, has invested over $573 million in shoring up existing sources and development of new suppliers.”The recently released defense budget request for fiscal 2022 could be less than what the Navy needs to keep pace with China and Russia, according to some observers.Watch the video above to find out how the Navy will upgrade its multibillion-dollar submarine fleet. More

In this articleDISThe Avengers Campus park land in Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California.DisneyAvengers, Assemble! Disney’s new Avengers Campus is open.The new area, which is located within Disneyland’s California Adventure theme park, replaced A Bug’s Land. It includes the preexisting Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout ride at the edge of Hollywood Land.The Avengers Campus, which opened Friday, features a new Spider-Man attraction, a dining location called Pym Test Kitchen and a portal to Doctor Strange’s sanctum.At its center is the Avengers compound, the home to Marvel’s mightiest heroes. On the rooftop launchpad is a to-scale quinjet that lights up and revs its engines for guests.This new area of California Adventure was initially set to open in July 2020, but the launch was postponed as theme parks in California were shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. In April, both Disney parks were able to reopen.”We’ve got the ultimate playground for Marvel,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, experiences and products, told CNBC in early April. “As quickly as Kevin [Feige] and that Marvel team can create characters and create stories, we can integrate them.”Here’s a look inside Disney’s new Avengers Campus:Web-slinging with Spider-ManIn addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout ride, the Avengers Campus also features a Spider-Man ride called Web Slingers.The attraction takes place at Worldwide Engineering Brigade, aka WEB headquarters, a company that helps give regular people superpowers. The attraction gives guests the chance to test out a new vehicle that its kid scientists have designed. While driving the vehicle, little spider bots are let loose and riders must snatch them up with their new web-slinging powers.Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, is a new ride at Disneyland that gives superhero recruits the same web-slinging abilities as Peter Parker.Disneyland ResortThroughout the day, visitors can spot their “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” hanging around the WEB building.Disney’s Imagineers have designed a robot that can swing and flip through the air doing stunts. Donning a Spider-Man suit, this figure can be seen doing acrobatics 60 feet in the air above the rooftop of the WEB building. After these feats, a Spider-Man cast member will swing down off the building to meet with guests.Avengers Campus guests can meet Spider-Man outside WEB headquarters.Disneyland ResortVisitors will be able to spot hidden Easter eggs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe around the WEB building as well as some hidden spider bots.This area also features exclusive merchandise that can only be purchased while at the parks.Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, offers exclusive merchandise for superhero recruits.Christian Thompson | Disneyland ResortFeast like heroesThe main dining area within the Avengers Campus is called Pym’s Test Kitchen. Here, scientists working with Ant-Man and the Wasp are using their growing and shrinking technology to create innovative foods.Guests can enjoy chicken sandwiches with massive chicken patties, spaghetti and meatballs with one large meatball and soft pretzels that are the size of a head.At Pym Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus inside Disney California Adventure Park, Ant-Man and The Wasp use shrinking and growing technology to innovative food.Disneyland ResortNext door is Pym’s Tasting Lab, a place for adults to enjoy craft beers and signature cocktails. The mixologists play with flavor, offering a variety of ingredients that range from habanero and mango to lemon and vanilla.Pym Tasting Lab, adjacent to the Pym Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park, features alcoholic drinks for adults, including: X-Periment, Molecular Meltdown, Honey Buzz and Particle Fizz.David Nguyen | Disneyland ResortThere are two food carts. The first is Shawarma Palace, a nod to the iconic mid-credits scene from “The Avengers.”The other is called Terran Treats. This booth is located near the Guardians of the Galaxy ride and features items that play on traditional human foods. Circular rainbow churros and bright purple cream puffs are just a few of the delicacies available.Simu Liu poses outside of Shawarma Palace, one of the restaurants locations at Disneyland Resort’s Avengers Campus.(Richard Harbaugh | Disneyland ResortAvengers AssembleCharacter meet-and-greets are another big part of Avengers Campus. Thor, Black Panther, Black Widow and more will be walking around the land. Visitors may also catch a glimpse of the trickster Loki.Guests may encounter the Master of Mystic Arts himself as they venture deep into Avengers Campus. From time to time, Doctor Strange steps forth through an inter-dimensional portal to engage guests with illusions, sorcery and tales to astonish from his collection of mysterious relics.Disneyland ResortDifferent Marvel characters will be set up in different areas of the campus. For example, Doctor Strange can be found near the sanctum while Spider-Man can be spotted by the WEB building. Other characters like Black Widow, Black Panther and Captain America will be stationed near the main Avengers building and Ant-Man and the Wasp will pop up near Pym’s Test Kitchen.The Dora Milaje, personal bodyguards and royal security of the Black Panther, will also have a presence on the campus, as well as the mighty Thor. As more characters are introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe they will likely be brought into the fold. More